1st Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292 “Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”

A school of barracudas from North Seymour, Galapagos, Ecuador. Photo courtesy of Franz Dejon

On Friday, 8 April 2016, the PrepCom met in the morning to finalize discussions on principles and approaches. Chair Eden Charles (Trinidad and Tobago) verbally outlined a procedural roadmap to PrepCom 2, including that the meeting will: hold a short opening plenary, without general statements; convene five four-hour informal working groups; reconvene in plenary to further discuss and possibly agree to “park” issues that garner consensus for inclusion into the internationally legally binding instrument; and discuss the next steps for PrepCom 3. He proposed working groups on: marine genetic resources; area-based management tools; environmental impact assessments; capacity building and technology​ transfer; and crosscutting issues, including scope, principles and institutional mechanisms. Chair Charles also proposed, and delegates agreed, that an indicative list of substantive issues, as well as a Chair’s summary of PrepCom 1, be circulated to facilitate preparations prior to PrepCom 2.

During the closing plenary, many delegations expressed appreciation for a successful start of the PrepCom, with Chair Charles encouraging them to keep up the good spirit as discussions “get tougher.” Chair Charles gavelled the meeting to a close at 1:44pm.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage and daily reports from the 1st Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292 “Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.” In addition, IISD Reporting Services, will publish a summary and analysis report of the meeting on Monday, 11 April 2016.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon
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Chair Eden
Charles, Trinidad and Tobago, gavelled the meeting to a close at 1:44 pm

On Thursday, 7 April 2016, the PrepCom plenary met throughout the day to complete a round of comments on oral reports from informal working groups, and to consider: the scope of an international legally binding instrument on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ); its relationship with other instruments and bodies; guiding approaches and principles; and institutional and dispute settlement mechanisms.

On Wednesday, 6 April 2016, the informal working group on capacity building and marine technology transfer, facilitated by Rena Lee (Singapore), continued discussions in the morning. In the afternoon, the PrepCom plenary reconvened to hear, and offer comments on, reports from all informal working groups.

L-R:Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli,
Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS);
Rena Lee, Singapore, facilitator of the informal working group on capacity
building and transfer of marine technology;Alice
Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; Vita Onwuasoanya, UNDOALOS; and Angela Chung, UNDOALOS

Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, IUCN

Veronica Frank, Greenpeace

Per-Axel Frielingsdorf, EU

Delegates from Brazil

René Lefeber, the Netherlands, reported on the discussions of the informal working group on environmental
impact assessments

Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil, reported on the discussions of the informal working group on marine genetic resources,
including benefit-sharing questions

Rena Lee, Singapore, reported on the discussions of the informal working group on capacity
building and transfer of marine technology

John Adank, New Zealand, reported on the discussions of the informal working group on area-based
management tools, including marine protected areas

On Tuesday, 5 April 2016, the informal working group on environmental impact assessments (EIAs), facilitated by René Lefeber (the Netherlands), continued discussions in the morning. In the afternoon, the PrepCom plenary reconvened briefly, followed by an informal working group on capacity building and marine technology transfer, facilitated by Rena Lee (Singapore).

L-R: Alice
Hicuburundi, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli,
Director, UNDOALOS; René Lefeber, the Netherlands, facilitator for the informal working group on environmental
impact
assessments; Yoshinobu Takei, UNDOALOS; and Fernando Cabrera, UNDOALOS

Maruthadu Sudhakar, India

Martin Zvachula, Federated States of Micronesia

Wini Broadbelt, EU

Nicholas Ioannides, Cyprus

Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea

A bird's eye view of the informal working group on capacity
building and transfer of marine technology

On Monday, 4 April 2016, the informal working group on area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, facilitated by John Adank (New Zealand), continued in the morning. In the afternoon, the PrepCom plenary reconvened briefly, followed by an informal working group on environmental impact assessments, facilitated by René Lefeber (the Netherlands)​.

On Friday, 1 April 2016, the informal working group on marine genetic resources, including questions on benefit-sharing, facilitated by Carlos Sobral Duarte (Brazil), continued in the morning. In the afternoon, the PrepCom plenary reconvened briefly, followed by an informal working group on area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, which was facilitated by John Adank (New Zealand).

L-R:Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS);Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil, facilitator for the informal working group
on marine genetic resources;
and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS

Delegates from the EU

On Thursday, 31 March 2016, the PrepCom plenary convened in the morning to conclude discussions on environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments, and to consider capacity building and marine technology transfer. Following a short afternoon plenary, an informal working group on marine genetic resources, including questions on benefit-sharing, convened.

On Wednesday, 30 March 2016, the plenary of the Preparatory Committee on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ)​ convened throughout the day to consider: marine genetic resources (MGRs), including benefit-sharing questions, area-based management tools, including marine protected areas (MPAs); and environmental impact assessments (EIAs). ​​

On Tuesday, 29 March 2016, the PrepCom plenary convened throughout the day to continue to hear general statements and start discussions on: the scope of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and its relationship with other instruments; and guiding approaches and principles.​

Delegates from the Philippines discussing elements to be included in the draft text

On Monday, 28 March 2016, the first session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) opened, with plenary convening in the morning and afternoon to address administrative matters, and hear general statements.

IISD Reporting Services is grateful to the many donors of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) and recognizes the following as core contributors to the ENB: the European Union, the Government of Switzerland (the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. General Support for the Bulletin during 2016 is provided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, SWAN International, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Ministry of Environment (through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies - IGES), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).